We're reopening our non-emergency services: Your questions answered

April 30, 2020

Updated May 27, 2020

How is VCU Health keeping us safe when we're on-site?

Your safety has always been our top priority. At every VCU Health location, we are taking additional measures to safeguard your health and protect you from potential exposure to COVID-19 — especially as we resume elective surgeries and procedures and increase in-person appointments.

Our rigorous safety procedures include:

Separate locations for potential COVID-19 patients and those with other conditions

Regular screening of all patients

Sanitation of all places and objects patients and staff encounter as well as extra hand-washing stations

Enforcement of social distancing in waiting rooms and other public spaces across our facilities

We require that all patients and visitors wear a face mask. We provide masks to anyone who needs one.

When can I be seen in person?

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911. Our emergency room is always open.

If you had a procedure canceled, we will be reaching out with instructions on how to schedule your treatment as soon as it is available.

For people with critical or chronic conditions, such as organ failure, cancer or heart problems, we have remained open during the pandemic and will continue to do so.

We will screen you for COVID-19 symptoms prior to your in-person appointment and give you a face mask to wear if you don't bring one from home.

If you prefer, you can visit your doctor through a virtual visit. Our patient access representatives will work with you to schedule your virtual visit and help you set up the VCU Health Anywhere telehealth app.

For questions related to an upcoming appointment, please call (804) 828-7929. Call (804) 828-CHOR (2467) for questions about a pediatric visit. If this is not your first visit, you may send a message through your My VCU Health patient portal.

Can I bring someone with me to my appointment?

Visitor restrictions continue so that we can continue maintaining the highest levels of safety throughout our hospitals and clinics.

For outpatient clinic appointments, adult patients can bring one person if they require assistance.

Pediatric patients can bring two adult companions.

To help keep the number of people in our environment as low as possible, we encourage adult patients to attend their appointments alone, if possible.

Now that the state of Virginia has lifted restrictions on elective procedures, can I have my surgery now?

If you had a scheduled surgery canceled, we will contact you to reschedule your appointment. While some procedures will begin immediately, there might be wait times for others. We will evaluate each individual case to safely prioritize scheduling.

How are you handling screening and testing for COVID-19?

Screening and testing are two different procedures:

Screening involves asking you questions to determine your risk for COVID-19. These include questions about symptoms, travel history and exposure to someone who has been confirmed as having the coronavirus.

Testing is done only after screening. We take a nasal swab and send it to the lab for testing.

For your safety, we screen everyone for coronavirus symptoms at our entrances. We also test every patient for COVID-19 before they undergo surgery or are admitted to the hospital.

Have you resumed valet parking at the downtown location?

Valet services resumed on May 4, with several changes:

Gateway valet opens for surgeries at 5 a.m.

Ambulatory Care Center valet opens for surgeries at 5:30 a.m.

Children’s Pavilion continues as self-park only.

Please visit the Massey Cancer Center for the latest information on parking at Massey Cancer Center clinics in North Hospital.